Container for cleaning, packing, storing, and preserving paint applicators



Aug. 27, 1968 w L |R ET AL 3,398,825

CONTAINER FOR CLEANING, PACKING, STORING, AND

PRESERVING PAINT APPLICATORS Filed Feb. 5, 1967 fl 16 Ill 1 45 In! United States Patent O 3,398,825 CONTAINER FOR CLEANING, PACKING, STOR- ING, AND PRESERVING PAINT APPLICATORS William M. Flook, Jr., Greenspring Road, Greenville, Del. 19807, and George T. Barnhill III, 911 Overhrook Road, Wilmington, Del. 19807 Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 545,440, Apr. 26, 1966. This application Feb. 3, 1967, Ser. No. 613,773

6 Claims. (Cl. 206-151) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Containers for paint applicators having an applicator guide surface extending upwardly from the opening in the container for guiding the applicator into the opening.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 545,440, filed Apr. 26, 1966.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a container for cleaning, packing, storing, and preserving paint applicators such as paint brushes. More particularly, this invention relates to a container for paint applicators having a construction which enables the applicators to be easily inserted into the container.

In the past numerous arrangements have been proposed for cleaning paint applicators such as brushes, rollers and the like but these arrangements are characterized by their cumbersome nature as well as the expense involved in manufacturing them. Several of the known arrangements are particularly geared to large scale implement cleaning operations which render them totally unacceptable for the average home owners needs. The lack of a functional and inexpensive applicator cleaning arrangement has caused most non-professional painters to rely on makeshift arrangements which for the most part inadequately clean, preserve and store their painting implements.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a simple, dependable, reuseable, rugged and economical container for cleaning, packing, storing, and/ or preserving paint applicators.

Another object of this invention is to provide a container for storing paint applicators which is both inexpensive to manufacture and easy to use and which also serves as a container display for new applicators.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention a container is provided for packing, cleaning, storing and preserving paint applicators. The container has a bottom and upwardly extending side walls which define an opening in the upper portion of the container. A guide surface extends upwardly from the container opening for guiding a paint applicator into the container opening as it is inserted therein. The guide surface may be integrally connected to a portion of the container side walls and is preferably disposed in at least two intersecting planes so that a corner area is provided into which the appli cator, such as the bristles of a paint brush for example, can be urged and then slid along the surface into the container opening.

Portions of the side walls adjacent the periphery of the container opening can also be flared outwardly away from the remainder of the side wall surface to assist in tunneling the paint applicator into the container opening.

Although the container configuration may take many 3,398,825 Patented Aug. 27, 1968 'ice different forms, a container having opposed front and rear walls and opposed end walls functions particularly well and also conforms to the shape of the most common paint applicators. In this arrangement the applicator guide surface can comprise an integral extension of one of the end side walls and the rear side wall of the con tainer. The remaining side walls, namely the front wall and the end wall opposite the guide surface, can be flared out-wardly at the container opening to facilitate insertion of the applicator into the opening.

The guide surface may also be provided with a tab portion adapted to secure the container to a support surface. The fastening means utilized for securing the container to the support surface can also be employed to secure both the applicator and the container to a support surface so that the paint applying portion of the applicator is spaced a predetermined distance away from the bottom of the container when the applicator is positioned within the container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Novel features of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art from a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a container according to the present invention with a paint applicator being guided into the container opening;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the container of FIGURE 1 with the paint applicator positioned within the container body; and

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the container and paint applicator shown in FIGURE 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION While it will be appreciated that the advantages of the present invention pertain to packing, cleaning, storing, and preserving various types of paint applicating devices, such as brushes, rollers and the like, the invention is particularly applicable to paint brushes. Accordingly, for clarity and convenience the invention is disclosed herein with reference to packing, cleaning, storing, and preserving paint brushes only but with the understanding that such disclosure in no way amounts to an exclusive environment for the use of this invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, a container 10 is provided for packing, cleaning, storing, and preserving a paint brush 12. The paint brush is of standard design and includes a handle portion 14 and a paint applying portion or brush bristles 16. The bristles are secured to the handle portion by a collar or ferrule 18 constructed of metal or other suitable material and the ferrule is fastened to the handle by tacks 20, for example, as is well known.

The container 10 is adapted to hold cleaning fluid such as paint solvent 22 and may be fabricated by injection molding techniques of a transparent, solvent-resistant plastic, such as polyvinylchloride for example, to permit the color and the level of the solvent to be seen easily. The container comprises a substantially horizontal bottom section 24 which may be rectangular in configuration although other configurations, such as circular shapes, are also suitable. Upright side walls such as 26 are connected at their lower end portions 28 to the outer boundary of the bottom section. The side walls extend upwardly to a marginal portion 30 which defines the opening 32 of the container.

As shown in the drawing, the side walls 26 of the container include a front wall 34 and rear wall 36 as well as opposed end walls 38 and 40. The front wall 34 can be provided with a liquid level line 42 to assist the user in filling the container with solvent to the appropriate level.

The container of the present invention also includes an applicator guide and compacting surface 44 which extends upwardly from the container opening 32 for distorting, compacting and guiding the bristle portion 16 of the paint brush 12 to facilitate insertion of the brush into the container. As shown in the drawing, the applicator guide surface 44 may be an integral extension of a portion of the container side walls 26. Although the guide surface is preferably integrally connected to the container side walls a separate guide surface suitably attached to the container at its opening can also be utilized to assist in guiding the paint applicator into the container opening. The applicator guide surface 44 may comprise an integral extension of the rear side wall 36 and one of the end side walls, such as 38. This particular arrangement provides an applicator guide surface which is disposed in at least two intersecting planes and thus defines a corner area 46 into which the bristle portion 16 of the brush 12 can be urged when insertion of the brush into the container is desired.

The front side wall 34 as well as end side wall 40 can also be constructed to assist in funneling the bristle portion of the brush 12 into the container opening. In this regard, the portions of these side walls adjacent the periphery of the container opening 32 are flared outwardly at 48 and 50 to facilitate insertion of the paint applicator 12 into the container opening.

As shown in the drawing, the portion of the guide surface 44 integral with the rear side wall 36 is provided with a tab portion 52 for securing the container in an upright position to a support surface 54. The tab portion has an aperture 56 in its upper end and this aperture is utilized to hang the container from a peg or similar projection 58 fixed to the support surface. The peg can also be utilized as a fastening means for securing the paint applicator to the support surface 54 and when the applicator is positioned as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, the peg 58 fastens both the container and the applicator 12 to the support surface so that the bristle portion 16 of the applicator is spaced a predetermined distance away from the bottom section 24 of the container. This arrangement enables the bristles to hang freely in the container out of contact with the container bottom and the sediment which usually accumulates there when cleaning the brush. Moreover, such an arrangement prevents deformation of the brush bristles which might otherwise occur if the bristles were in contact with the container bottom.

In addition to functioning as a cleaning, storing, and preserving unit for paint applicators, the container of the present invention is also useful as a shipping package to store and protect the enclosed paint applicator during transit from the manufacturer to the retailer. Thereafter, the container serves as a convenient counter display and reconditioning unit for cleaning and preserving the applicator. During shipment, the container together with the applicator can be held in assembled relationship, as shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawing, by securing them together with a tie 60 of shipping tape of similar material.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination of a paint brush having a bristle portion and a container for cleaning, packing, storing and preserving the brush, the container comprising a bottom, said walls extending upwardly from the bottom defining an opening in the upper portion of the container, and a bristle guide and compacting surface extending upwardly a sufiicient distance from the container opening for distorting, compacting and guiding the bristle portion of the brush to facilitate insertion of the brush into the container.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein portions of the side walls adjacent the periphery of the container open ing are flared outwardly to assist inserting the paint brush into the container opening.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein the bristle guide surface is disposed in at least two intersecting planes.

4. The combination of the claim 2 wherein the side walls include opposed front and rear walls and opposed ends walls, the bristle guide surface comprising an integral extension of one of the end walls and the rear wall of the container.

5. The combination of claim 2, wherein the bristle guide surface includes a tab portion adapted to secure the container to a support surface.

6. The combination of claim 5 including fastening means for securing both the tab portion and the paint brush to a support surface when the brush is positioned within the container whereby the bristle portion of the brush is spaced a predetermined distance away from the bottom of the container.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 816,793 4/ 1906 Harris 206-15.1 1,359,650 11/1920 Amis 206-151 1,653,540 12/1927 Bigoney 20615.l 1,770,478 7/1930 Burnett 206-151 3,000,491 9/1961 McIntosh 206l5.1

WILLIAM T. DIXSON, 111., Primary Examiner. 

